Lies Like Mountains
by best with breadsticks
Summary: One-shot Emily has a few announcements to tell Leah. Some of which aren't the easiest thing to say. Honorable Mention in Twilight Archives "It was a dark and stormy night" Challenge


Author's Note: I wrote this in about an hour for a contest. I don't know exactly how I feel about it... It's my interpretation of how the whole Emily saying, 'Leah, Sam and I are getting married and want you to be a bridesmaid' scene went. This is in Leah's point of view.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related.

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Leah Clearwater

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Emily was smiling at me from across the room. There was quite an assortment of activities going on around us, so for a moment, I brushed off her smile and pretended that she was smiling at someone else.

But, sadly, I was wrong. Not only was she grinning at me, she was making that face people make when their about to ask you something you don't want to be asked. You know what, let her ask me. I'll just shove it all right back in her face.

She deserves that much.

No matter how many times she tries to tell me that she didn't want Sam to come on to her, I'm never going to believe her. She probably fluttered her long eyelashes, and smiled her cute half-smile, where her upper lip is only slight turned up. She might claim that Sam suddenly had a change of heart, but things don't change like that. Things – especially love – doesn't just switch on a whim, something has got to trigger it.

She stood up from her chair now, and was proceeding over to where I was sitting. She looked quickly around me for a place to sit, before decided it better to squat next to me. She smiled wider once she was at my eye level. I scowled.

"Leah, I know you probably don't want to hear this," she stopped for a moment as if waiting for me to answer.

I shook my head. I didn't want to hear anymore of her lies about how she tried to stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

She sighed and continued. "We're getting married." She said the words halfway through her sigh, but still it sounded like she was spitting them at me. Gloating in a way about how she won.

I could feel the tears welling up in the corner of my eyes, but I held them back. No, she couldn't see me cry. That would be giving her the pleasure of knowing that I know she won this battle. No, I've got to hold strong.

"Leah." The way she said my name cut me deeply. If her words had been a knife, I would be bleeding for sure by now. The puddle of imaginary blood – the puddle of her lies – was beginning to collect at my feet. I kicked at it unconsciously.

"Leah." She repeated, reaching up to touch my hair. She combed her fingers through it.

I gazing into her serene expression, taking notice to the long, angry scar running down her face. A bear had ruined her physical beauty, and now it seemed Sam was ruining her internal beauty. Making her into some kind of heartless beast. The same beast he was.

I couldn't truly be angry with Emily though. It was Sam after all, who had ripped out my heart, lied to me, and avoided me. That wasn't anything Emily could control. But still, the thought that he had chosen to tell her everything and be with her irked me.

"That's great." I lied, while gritting my teeth. I forced my lips to curl up into a bit of smile. It was painful, both physically and mentally, to sit there and smile. My act was beginning to falter; hopefully she'd chime in soon.

"Oh," She reached out her arms and encompassed my body with them, pulling me into her. "I'm glad you're okay with this. I –" She swapped the word hastily. "We weren't sure if you'd be okay with this."

"Now, why would you think that?" I pushed a laugh out. The hurt was burning within my heart. I squeezed my right hand into a fist, trying to relieve the ache. It was a lucky thing that Emily could be quite oblivious when there were things she didn't want to hear or know. She just kind of blocks them out. What a fortunate gift.

She leaned back. "Well, you know. This isn't the best situation."

Ha, ha. Emily you're a funny one.

Is what I wanted to say, but alas, I decided to be the bigger woman today and hold it in. Instead, I merely nodded and half-smiled at her.

Emily looked at me again in a way that said there was more. I nodded again, allowing her to know that I understood there was more of this torture.

"Go on." I motioned with my hand to enforce the encouragement of her continuing.

Emily nodded and smiled again. "Well, Sam and I were wondering if you'd like to be a bridesmaid. If you would like to…I'm not going to force you into anything. We were just wondering."

My eyes must have gone wide for a moment. I'm not entirely sure though, I sort of blacked this scene from my memory. Emily's expression read that much, so I can only assume the face I was making wasn't the most positive appearance.

"You want me to be a bridesmaid?" I cringed inwardly at the words. I was being asked to be a bridesmaid at the wedding where I should have been the bride. Irony sucks.

She looked panicked, as she bit her lip. "You're angry." Her words spilled out from her lips. "I knew this was a horrid idea. I'm sorry for asking. I really am." She stood to flee from the scene, but I caught her arm.

"No, Em." Bigger woman, bigger woman. Be strong, be strong. "I'll do it. I mean -- I'd be honored to be your bridesmaid." The grin was strained on my face.

"Really," she beamed. "You'll do it." The excitement in her voice was hard to miss. I did my very best though.

"Yeah, yeah." The lies were piling up into a mountain.

She leaned down and pulled me into a tight embrace. I could feel her shaking between my arms. She must have been preparing this speech for days. Was I really that much of a terror?

"Thank you, Leah." She let go of me and backed up. I could see the tears in the corner of her eyes. "I have to go tell Sam the good news." She hugged me speedily and scurried off.

Good news. What a joke.

I was alone sitting in the living room. Most had left by now or were gathering their things to leave. I glanced outside; the sky had darkened a great deal. It had been a dark and stormy night when Sam ripped my heart out. It was a dark and stormy night this night when Emily and I lied to each other.

I was just about to give into the fact that my life was terrible, and that I'll never be truly loved, when a flood of fury flowed through me. Emily and Sam had killed my heart and soul, but damn it, I've got pride. And I'll be her damn bridesmaid. I'll be strong. I'll be the bigger woman.

And you know what else?

I'm going to smile the whole time.

Even if it is forced…


End file.
